My 2007 S550 came out of park and rolled into the back wall of my garage while the car was running. MBenz service couldn't find anything wrong. My brother-in-law had a very similar experience. I'm not getting anywhere with MBenz customer service. Any suggestions as to what could cause this?

 

Do you back into your garage?

That sucks, but are you sure park was engaged? Was it in reverse or in neutral?

 

This is one reason I don't like the gear selector on the stalk as it is. Even after 18 months , it still seems awkward to me to not have a gear selector in the console area as all MBs of the past 30 years , especially with the keyless start button so close to the gear selector. I have to consciously think "did I turn the engine off?" or "did I put it in Park yet?". The two actions are performed in areas that are in too close in proximity to each other.
I can't tell you how many times I start to get out of the car and then stop in my tracks, sit back in the car and double check if I put the car in park (if we needed a warning chime, this would be the time for one).
I'm not saying this is what you did, but I can certainly see myself leaving it in gear by mistake while the car is running or shutting the car off yet forgetting to press the gear selector inward to go to park.

This is the ONLY design detail I hate about the W221. I didn't like the BMW 7 series when it came out with this. When I saw MB do it, I was not happy at all.

I sure hope the next generation S class does away with this.

 

Actually prefer the minimalist column stalk; gear change is such an analog/mechanistic function in an era when fast/smart software has made the paddleshifters into "placeboshifters" anyway....what a waste of center console real estate for a silly, old-tech gearshift lever....

Whenever I test-drive any non-S/CL (even the SL63 030), I find old-tech ergonomics of non-S/CL's to be relatively analog/counter-intuitive/primitive....

OP's post re: alleged shifter failure sounds "unusual", given the anecdotal reliability expce of S/CL owners on Board to-date; tell us more....

 

I agree with you that the newer style stalk is a big change, but its not that far off from the old days of column mounted gear selectors.. Now if we are talking the aesthetic of the center console shifter then i agree that its much better looking.

The big thing that people have a hard time getting used to is the fact that the new shifters are just switches and that there is no physical connection to the gear selector but rather just an electrical one. This is a continuing trend particularly with luxury cars as more of the vehicle is going drive-by-wire. A good example of this is the accelerator which is already DBW is all the new models.. no more throttle cable at all, just wires. now they are doing the gear selector and next up is going to be the brakes.

The only thing that will remain connected is going to be the steering wheel because federal law requires it for now.. but even that is changing...

 

agreed.. the gear selector system is dual redundant just like the DBW accelerator... both both branches of the system would need to fail for the car to jump into gear. and the brake would need to be presed as well.

 

i am willing to bet.... because i have done this a few times.... if you just graze the stalk... and push it a little down.. that engages neutral... like just getting out of the car, maybe grabbing a bag or something... and slighty hitting it on the way out... thats enough to do it...

that stalk is way too long.... i would rather see a old school pushbutton selector on the dash... lol..

 

I have run into the same issue a few times already where I forget to push the gear shifter button into park before pressing the engine off switch.

In fact just yesterday, when I pulled into my garage I pushed the engine off button (keyless go) and then suddenly realized that I forgot to put the car in park . I can't remember for sure but I think the car goes into park automatically if you forget to push the gear shifter into park before turning the engine off.

 

Yup, the car will automatically go into Park. I honestly dont see how the car would reverse by itself.

 

Car running....... not with the key out....

 

My first cars (60 model cars and trucks) had the shifter on the column but you actually had to grab it and make an elaborate move by grabbing it and pulling it down. Like you said, it is now just a mere button located on a simulated gear shifter and this may be what I'm having trouble with.

 

I didn't know that.

 

I couldn't say it better than Trumpet1 but since I have this forum I will note my thoughts anyway! It has happened to me quite often when I park, especially if I am on the bluetooth phone, that I have to consciously look to see if I placed the car in park. I feel like there should be a checklist, like in the cockpit of a plane. There is the button to push for park (a chime is definitely needed to confirm park, in my opinion), a button to push to turn car off (with keyless go), the command dial to push to turn off phone call. There have been several times that I have missed putting the car in park and as I get out it starts moving. I believe that has happened when turning off the phone by pushing down on the command dial and thinking I was turning off the car. I will have to try turning it off and not putting in park and see if it automatically goes to park. I consider myself very coordinated with gadgets, multi-tasking etc...but with all of the electronics in this car, it can be confusing, and the need to pause and focus each time I get out of the car is needed quite often if not always.

 

Yup if you still have it in drive and turn it off via keyless go it goes into park.

 

S/CL def have ergonomic weaknesses, but a brief drive in any other $100K+ car will quickly prove how poorly-engineered are ergonomics of other cars, incl other MBs...

Know many financiers who multi-task daily in front of various computer screens, placing many financial bets daily based upon incomplete info....if one is wrong, will lose a few dollars....

Suspect many who have difficulties starting/stopping their car properly while multitasking are prob assuming far more serious personal physical risks (the financial/liability risks are far more trivial) while driving anyway

Major element of active safety (and competent driving) is an alert driver who is well aware of surrounding cars' behavior; can quickly process data; and can instantaneously make (and skillfully execute) a decision in an emergent driving maneuver to avoid a collision...

Personally, I almost never place/accept a call (even on Btooth) while driving, unless it's a truly urgent situation...and if I'm on a call, I risk-adjust my driving style more than usual to compensate for my distracted state and likely slower reaction speeds....

 

I didn't back in to the garage. The car was definitley in park and the key was still in. (I don't have keyless) Since this happened I've tried leaving it in drive in my garage and it continues to move forward...noticeably. There is no way I left the car in drive and got out. There were 3 other people in the car when I pulled into my garage who got out and would have noticed the car moving too.

 

Opening the door triggers it to go into a park mode. Every time.

 

I don't love the shifter, either...i find it to be a bit annoying, since I've never had to think about what Im doing when putting a car in drive or reverse or park in any other car. I understand that this is something you have to get used to, but my understanding has always been that a technological advancement should make life easier!...not harder. Although the actual physical way you put the car in drive, reverse, neutral and park may be easier, the mental adjustment isn't. Most people are very used to the center shifter, especially those who have been with MB for quite a long time. I, for one, find myself taking a second each time i put the car in drive or reverse just to make sure im going in the right direction. I would have rather had a miniature shifter on the center console that utilized the same "drive by wire" tech, without the stalk shifter. I personally think we're going backwards with the placement, but the tech is cool...ill admit that at least.

Its not like MB did all that much with the extra room they generated by putting the shifter on the column...they easily could have integrated a miniature push shifter on the center console.

 

I tested turning off the car and getting out without placing it in Park several times today and consistently experienced the following sequence:

1. Turn car off and it automatically goes into Neutral
2. Open drivers door and it immediately goes into Park.

 

A while back in my 07 ML, once I had pressed the stalk button for Park, and as I released the foot brake, I felt the car creeping forward. Was it still in Drive, or did it go back in Drive? I can't be sure. This has happened only once, and I am not sure if I had properly pressed the Park button firm enough to engage the switch. I thought I did, as I had been driving it for several months by this time. That's the only thing I can think of in your case. (BTW, my Dealer also found no issues.)

Now I am more careful to listen for the solenoid sound as it engages Park and visually confirm the dash message of P. Plus, now I also take the key out of the ignition while my foot is on the brake as a redundancy. (This engages Park also.)

Maybe a physical movement to Park like the "older" Benzs would be better?

 

I tried that test today but didn't get so far as the opening the door part. I'll have to go back out and try it. Mine went to neutral and started rolling backwards down my driveway.

 

Just retested it and that is the way it works for me to. You better hope the car doesn't get to rolling at a fast pace before opening the door though as it seems this would seriously damage the transm.

Of course I would instinctively press the brakes first (I would hope).

 

This starts to be an old topic but I was sure my car selects P before opening the door but I only tested it today.

I believe there is a difference with KG cars (most of you here have one but mine is without). If I switch off the engine while on gear, it does not go to P and that is what it should not do because that would be a safety issue. But immediately when I take the key out of ignition switch OR open the door, the car goes to park.

I guess the issue with KG is that there is no equivalent to taking the key out of the ignition switch.

But I don't still see how the driver could leave the car without it setting the tranny on park, I understood the OP claiming this.